Shia protestors block KKH

12 December 2003
The Daily Times

GILGIT: Protesters belonging to the Shia community held a protest rally at Danyore Town Chowk, some 15 kilometres from Gilgit and blocked the Karakorum Highway for two hours in favour of their demands, police sources said. Police sources told Daily Times that at about 600 hundred protestors demanded the immediate release of their detained leader Allama Sajid Naqvi and a ban on the existing disputed education syllabus in the Northern Areas. Addressing the rally the speakers said Allama Naqvi was innocent and was falsely implicated in the murder case. They said Allama Naqvi had always worked for peace and harmony amongst the Muslims. They said Mr Naqvi's arrest is a conspiracy of the government to split the Muttahida Majlis-e- Amal. The speakers also stressed the need to replace the existing education syllabus and to implement an impartial education syllabus acceptable to all Muslim schools of thought.